Dispensers



y 1966 R. M. KOTZEK ET AL 3,262,747

DISPENSERS Filed March 19, 1965 3 s t s 1 y 1966 R. M. KOTZEK ET 3,262,747

DISPENSERS Filed March 19, 1965 g $heets $heet 2 United States Patent 3,262,747 DISPENSERS Robert M. Kotzek, 51 Wright reseent, Brockville, O ntario, Canada, and Lawrence B. Keith, Sarina, Ontario, Canada; said Keith assignor to said Kotzek Filed Mar. 19, 1965, Ser. No. 441,250 Claims priority, application Canada, Feb. 1, 196:, 922,141 Claims. (Cl. 312-2345) This invention relates to a solid preformed medicament dispenser.

Combined containers and dispensers for solid preformed medicaments are known and, in the main, consist of a compartmented drawer and a slidable shell or cover. However, these have, heretofore, suffered from the disadvantage that the cover and drawer could accidentally open, thereby spilling the medicaments with the possibility of loss.

Another disadvantage with known types of such combined containers and dispenser has been that, to prevent accidental opening in transit from the wholesaler to the retailer, the integers have, initially, been maintained in cooperation closed condition by frangible means. To obtain access to the said preformed medicament, the consumer has manually ruptured the frangible means and, in consequence, such known types of container have again suffered from the same disadvantage i.e. the cover and drawer could accidentally open say, for instance, in a purse or pocket, thereby permitting spilling of the medicament.

Furthermore, such known types of container and dispenser have not provided means whereby (a) printed information data as to the solid preformed medicament was readily visible and available or (b) whereby the medicament could be dispensed in readily visible and accessible sequence. Furthermore, it was also possible, with hitherto known types of container and dispenser, to commence dispensing of the medication from either end of the container thus precluding the possibility of programed dispensing.

Thus, it is the object of the present invention to provide a container and dispenser overcoming the above disadvantages.

Accordingly, the present invention relates, in a solid preformed medicament dispenser comprising a drawer having side walls, end walls and a bottom, a partition extending substantially along the central axis of said drawer, a plurality of transverse partitions extending from each side of said longitudinal partition to an adjacent said side wall, all of said partitions defining a plurality of solid preformed medicament receiving compartments arranged in a pair of parallel rows thereof, the compartments of one said row being in staggered relation to the compartments of the remaining row, and a slidable shell cooperating with said drawer, said shell including a pair of side wings, a top cover connecting the latter and having at least a transparent portion whereby the contents of said compartments may be viewed; to the provision of:

(a) A longitudinally extending keyway, having one open end, in the exterior surface of each side wall and spaced between the upper edge of the latter and said bottom;

(b) A stop surface closing the other end of each keyway;

(c) A pair of lugs in each keyway spaced from the open and closed ends of the latter;

(d) A longitudinally extending key projecting from the interior surface of each wing and adapted to be in sliding cooperating relationship with an associated said keyway, at least a selected end of the latter being spaced from the adjacent end of its associated wing and being "Ice adapted to abut an associated said stop surface, when said drawer and shell are in closed condition; and

(e) A pair of ribs projecting from each said key, and spaced from the ends of the latter, whereby, when the drawer and shell are in closed condition, one said rib, of each pair thereof, will be located between an associated said stop surface and its adjacent lug, and the remaining rib, of each pair thereof, will be located between both of said lugs, said pairs of lugs and ribs cooperating to inhibit accidental opening of said drawer and shell but having a yielding relationship to permit a required opening of said drawer and shell to obtain access to said compartments and to inhibit complete separation of the drawer and shell.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which,

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale of the drawer;

FIGURE 2 is an end view of FIGURE 1 on a reduced scale;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the shell in inverted position;

FIGURE 4 is an end view of the shell in upright position;

FIGURE 5 is a side view of the drawer and shell in closed condition; and

FIGURE 6 is a side view of the drawer and shell in partially opened condition.

Referring to the drawings, and in particular to FIG- URE 1, the drawer, indicated generally at 1, has side walls 2, end walls 3, and a bottom 4. The drawer also has a longitudinal partition 5 extending substantially along its central longitudinal axis and a plurality of spaced transverse partitions 6 extending from each side of the longitudinal partition 5 to an adjacent side wall 2, said partitions defining a plurality of solid preformed medicament receiving compartments, indicated generally at 7, arranged in a pair of parallel rows thereof. As will also be seen from FIGURE 1 the compartments of one row are staggered with respect to those of the remaining row, moreover each compartment is identified by a particular number, even numbers extending sequentially along one row of compartments, and odd numbers extending sequentially along the remaining row of compartments.

The exterior surface of each side wall 2 of the drawer 1 is provided with a longitudinally extending keyway 8 having one open end 9 and being spaced between the upper edge of the side wall 2 and the bottom 4. A stop surface 10 closes the other end of each keyway 8, remote from the open end 9. Moreover, each keyway 8 is provided with a pair of spaced, vertical and projecting lugs 11, 12, the former being located adjacent the stop surface 10 and the latter being located adjacent the open end 9 of the keyway.

One end of the upper surface of the drawer is recessed, as at 13 so as to accommodate identification data, such as, for example, a label 14' bearing the name of the pharmacy, the prescription number, date and dosage instructions.

The cooperating shell indicated generally at 14 is shown in detail in FIGURE 3, said shell including a pair of spaced, parallel side wings 15 connected by a top cover 16. The interior surface of each wing 15 is provided with a longitudinally extending key 17. Although each end of each key is spaced from the adjacent end of its associated wing, it will be appreciated that only one end need be so spaced. Each key 17 is provided with a pair of spaced, vertical and projecting ribs, 18, 19 which are each spaced a predetermined distance from an adjacent end of the associated key.

Preferably, the outer surface of each Wing is ribbed for easier handling.

In operation the slidable shell 14 is adapted to cooperate with the drawer 1, each key 17 being in sliding cooperation with an associated keyway 8. As will be seen from FIGURE 5, when the drawer and shell are in closed condition one nb 18 of each key 17 is located between an associated stop surface of the drawer 1 and its associated lug 11. The remaining rib 19 of each pair thereof is located between the lugs 11 and 12. Thus, due to the cooperation and location of the lugs 11, 12 and ribs 18, 19, accidental opening of the drawer 1 and shell 12 will be inhibited. However, both ribs and lugs have a yielding relationship to permit a required opening of the drawer to obtain access to the contents of the compartments and to inhibit complete separation of the drawer and shell. Such opening, as well as closing of the drawer and shell, will be accompanied by an audible click, as the ribs ride over the lugs, as a further indication to the consumer. Furthermore, due to the cooperation of the ribs 18 with the stop surfaces 10, the drawer can only be open in one longitudinal direction thereby ensuring that the solid preformed medicament is dispensed in sequence.

The drawer and shell is preferably moulded from a synthetic resin. Preferably, however, the material from which the drawer is formed is an unmodified polystyrene resin and the shell is formed from a transparent plastic material such as polymethyl methacrylate.

We claim:

1. In a solid preformed medicament dispenser comprising a drawer having side walls, end walls and a bottom, a partition extending substantially along the central axis of said drawer, a plurality of transverse partitions extending from each side of said longitudinal partition to an adjacent said side wall, all of said partitions defining a plurality of solid preformed medicament receiving compartments arranged in a pair of parallel rows thereof, the compartments of one said row being in staggered relation to the compartments of the remaining row, and a slidable shell cooperating with said drawer, said shell including a pair of side wings, a top cover connecting the latter and having at least a transparent portion whereby the contents of said compartments may be viewed; the provisions of:

(a) a longitudinally extending keyway, having one open end, in the exterior surface of each side wall and spaced between the upper edge of the latter and said bottom;

(b) a stop surface closing the other end of each key- (c) a pair of lugs in each keyway spaced from the open and closed ends of the latter;

(d) a longitudinally extending key projecting from the interior surface of each wing and adapted to be in sliding cooperating relationship with an associated said keyway, at least a selected end of the latter being spaced from the adjacent end of its associated wing and being adapted to abut an associated said stop surface, when said drawer and shell are in closed condition; and

(e) a pair of ribs projecting from each said key, and

spaced from the ends of the latter,

whereby, when the drawer and shell are in closed condition, one said rib, of each pair thereof, will be located between an associated said stop surface and its adjacent lug, and the remaining rib, of each pair thereof, will be located between both of said lugs, said pairs of lugs and ribs cooperating to inhibit accidental opening of said drawer and shell but having a yielding relationship to permit a required opening of said drawer and shell to obtain access to said compartments and to inhibit complete separation of the drawer and shell.

2. A solid preformed medicament dispenser according to clairn 1 wherein one said row of compartments is provided with a plurality of sequential odd numbers and the remaining row of compartments is provided with a plurality of sequential even numbers.

3. A solid preformed medicament dispenser according to claim 2 wherein the drawer is formed from a synthetic resin.

4. A solid preformed medicament dispenser according to claim 3 wherein said resin is a thermoplastic resin.

5. A solid preformed medicament dispenser according to claim 3 wherein said resin is a thermosetting synthetic resin.

6. A solid preformed medicament dispenser according to claim 3 wherein said resin is an unmodified polystyrene.

7. A solid preformed medicament dispenser according to claim 1 wherein the shell is formed from a synthetic resin.

8. A solid preformed medicament dispenser according to claim 7 wherein said resin is a thermoplastic resin.

9. A solid preformed medicament dispenser according to claim 7 wherein said resin is a thermosetting synthetic resin.

10. A solid preformed medicament dispenser according to claim 7 wherein said resin is polymethyl methacrylate.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,367,019 1/1945 Haag 206-42 2,708,026 5/1955 Duell 20642 3,033,355 5/1962 Van Sickle 20642 FOREIGN PATENTS 491,260 2/ 1954 Italy. 566,186 12/ 1944 Great Britain.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

F. DOMOTOR, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A SOLID PREFORMED MEDICAMENT DISPENSER COMPRISING A DRAWER HAVING SIDE WALL, END WALLS AND A BOTTOM, A PARTITION EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY ALONG THE CENTRAL AXIS OF SAID DRAWER, A PLURALITY OF TRANSVERSE PARTITIONS EXTENDING FROM EACH SIDE OF SAID LONGITUDINAL PARTITION TO AN ADJACENT SAID SIDE WALL, ALL OF SAID PARTITIONS DEFINING A PLURALITY OF SOLID PERFORMED MEDICAMENT RECEIVING COMPARTMENTS ARRANGED IN A PAIR OF PARALLEL ROWS THEREOF, THE COMPARTMENTS OF ONE SAID ROW BEING IN STAGGRED RELATION TO THE COMPARTMENTS OF THE REMAINING ROW, AND A SLIDABLE SHEEL COOPERATING WITH SAID DRAWER, SAID SHELL INCLUDING A PAIR OF SIDE WINGS, A TOP COVER CONNECTING THE LATTER AND HAVING AT LEAST A TRANSPARENT PORTION WHEREBY THE CONTENTS OF SAID COMPARTMENTS MAY BE VIEWED; THE PROVISIONS OF: (A) A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING KEYWAY, HAVING ONE OPEN END, IN THE EXTERIOR SURFACE OF EACH SIDE WALL AND SPACED BETWEEN THE UPPER EDGE OF THE LATTER AND AND BOTTOM; (B) A STOP SURFACE CLOSING THE OTHER END OF EACH KEYWAY; (C) A PAIR OF LUGS IN EACH KEYWAY AND SPACED FROM THE OPEN AND CLOSED ENDS OF THE LATTER; (D) A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING KEY PROJECTING FROM THE INTERIOR SURFACE OF EACH WING AND ADAPTED TO BE IN SLIDING COOPERATING RELATIONSHIP WITH AN ASSOCIATED SAID KEYWAYS, AT LEAST A SELECTED END OF THE LATTER BEING SPACED FROM THE ADJACENT EN DOF ITS ASSOCIATED WING AND BEING ADAPTED TO ABUT AN ASSOCIATED SAID STOP SURFACE, WHEN SAID DRAWER AND SHELL ARE IN CLOSED CONDITION; AND (E) A PAIR OF RIBS PROJECTING FROM EACH SAID KEY, AND SPACED FROM THE ENDS OF THE LATTER, WHEREBY, WHEN THE DRAWER AND SHELL ARE IN CLOSED CONDITION, ONE SAID RIB, OF EACH PAIR THEREOF, WILL BE LOCATED BETWEEN AN ASSOCIATED SAID STOP SURFACE AND ITS ADACENT LUG, AND THE REMAINING RIB, OF EACH PAIR THEREOF, WILL BE LOCATED BETWEEN BOTH OF SAID LUGS, SAID PAIRS OF LUGS AND RIBS COOPERATING TO INHIBIT ACCIDENTIAL OPENING OF SAID DRAWER AND SHELL BUT HAVING A YIELDING RELATIONSHIP TO PERMIT A REQUIRED OPENING OF SAID DRAWER AND SHELL TO OBTAIN ACCESS TO SAID COMPARTMENTS AND TO INHIBIT COMPLETE SEPARATION OF THE DRAWER AND SHELL. 